Tonks
by Bee-kun
Summary: Tonks began to develop feelings for Remus way before you thought...100 percent but unfortunately onesided LupinxTonks. If you love this pairing read. R
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, I know Tonks is supposed to be in Hufflepuff and I know that MWPP would hardly be in school during the same year as Tonks, but for the purpose of this fic, I call the shots (my apologies to JKR...)**

"Oh for God's sake, Nymphadora, how many times have I told you not to do that with your hair? And after all that time I spent fixing it up for you!"

A hand reached out to smooth the layered red locks of hair framing my face. Instead it sent them into total disarray.

"I suppose you'll need to change it back on your own, then," said my mother with a sigh. "You'll want to look nice an pretty on your first day, now won' t you?" I hardly had a choice in the matter.

"Ah, that's must better, isn't it?" said my mother at once, speaking to me as if I were four or five years old. I felt at the blonde ringlets plastered to my head and gave a weak smile. I could've thrown up.

"Everything packed?" I gestured to the little-girl suitcase at my feet, nodding. She then held me close, apparated, and tried to smile again, though her eyes were over bright.

"Now, don't forget to write me every week," she rambled, dabbing at her eyes with a lacy handkerchief. I don't w-want you starting any little fights while I'm not there...n-no...just be g-good, and...and..."

She immediately burst into tears, noisy tears that drew in many passersby. A little way off, my neighbor Andrea Finch caught sight of my curls, exactly the same size and shape as my mothers, and she burst into silent giggles. i felt my face go red.

"Andromeda!"

My mother and I both whipped around. Coming towards us, tall, smiling, handsome as ever, was my mother's favorite cousin, Sirius.

The two of them hugged as though they'd been apart for years. When they finally broke apart, mother had stopped crying and was beaming more brightly than ever.

"Sirius! How wonderful!" she gasped, taking in his full height. "You're so much taller since last time..."

"Hey To--, uh, Nymphadora!" Sirius smiled. "Just starting?"

I nodded, still self-consciously patting my curls as though I could hide them. From the look he gave me, i could tell that Sirius understood at once. "You know how she can get sometimes," Sirius whispered wisely with a small wink. "Don't think any less of her for it..." He turned back to my mother and began to talk.

Sirius, who was my mother's favorite cousin, was also one of my favorite relatives. He was more like a brother to me: I had no siblings of my own. It had been me, my overprotective mother, and my workaholic father for as long as I could remember.

A train whistle sounded somewhere close by, and the Hogwarts Express began to chug impatiently.

"Oh, you'd better get yourself a seat dear!" my mother shouted over the noise.

(Sirius was entering his final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as i was entering my first.)

"And keep an eye on Nymphadora, would you?"

After assuring my mother that he would indeed keep her precious little girl save from harm, Sirius steered me into a compartment near the back of the train with two other boys and an owl, all of whom eyes my curls with curiosity.

My mother had once again started up with her tears. "I'll s-see you for Christmas, I suppose, N-Nymphadora..." She began to wail for a second time. She didn't see me roll my eyes, and the other boys snickered quietly.

I hung out the window, trying to put on a sympathetic face as I waved one last time to my mother, who was in hysterics.

As the train rolled around the corner, I screwed up my face, concentrating. In an instant my choppy red hairstyle was back.

I pulled myself back into the compartment, and it was with a more relaxed expression that I faced the strangers before me. i raised my eyebrows at Sirius, waiting for an introduction. "Oh, guys, this is my cousin Tonks. That's Peter," he gestured towards a shorter boy, who nodded and gave half a wave.

"And that's James." The other boy was pouring over books and hastily filling out papers; evidently, he had left his summer homework until now. He looked up and nodded.

Sirius had a seat, and i settled into the one next to him. He and James began a casual conversation while Peter listened in. As Andrea passed by the compartment, I pretended like I was in on the talk. She, who had been in the school long enough to know that this was a rather popular group, gasped, and shot me a look of pure envy.

I smirked in her direction.

"So where's Moony gone of to then? He left his owl..."

I looked up, without the slightest clue as to who or what Sirius was talking about. perhaps another friend.

"Well, he's Head Boy now, isn't he?" James said, his hand flying rapidly across a piece of parchment. From my spot i could count three spelling errors.

"Oh. Right." Sirius spoke as if being Head Boy was like having some sort of disease. "I just don't see why he'd go throw everything away like that."

I sat back, and, for the first time in a while, I smiled. A _real _smile. i was on my way to school, free from my mother, free to do whatever I pleased, free to be _myself_; someone with whom I'd never found the time to get aquatinted with.

**I am extremely proud to say that i might actually finish this entire fic! (not counting oneshots) probably because I LOVE THIS PAIRING more that anything, and becaus i'vve been working on it all year...**


	2. Chapter 2

"Gryffindor!"  
A voice rang out loudly throughout the Hall, one thousand times me loudly in my head. The ragged Sorting Hat was tugged from my head, and I traispsed to the table with the loudest scremers. I spotted Sirius, who was beckoning to me, and I made a beeline for him and his friends. Peter whipsered "Congratulations!" while James gave a small wink.

As the remaining kids were sorted, I took my first good look around the Hall. Bright, burning, candles were magically suspended in mid-air. Banners bearing the school seal could be seen from every angle, and, looking straight up, I could see a clear night sky sprinkled with stars. I caught a few stray eyes on me: some bewildered as to why I was with who I was with, others eyeing my hair curiously, but what in a different way than my curls. I smiled in spite of myself.

"Still no Moony?"

The Sorting Ceremony had ended. A man was carrying away the overly large Hat, and conversation began to break out in every corner.

James sighed, whipping out a book and piece of parchment, and began to work once again. "Mcgonagall wanted him for something." He heaved another great sigh. "I swear, this is the _last _time..."

No sooner had the words issued from his mouth, another mn began to rise. he was older and taller than the man who had conducted the Sorting. Though he spoke no words, he seemed to demand respect from everyone watching, and everyone gave it to him.

"Welcome, old students and new alike, to another year at Hogwarts!"

He then gave a short speech, and bt the tie he had finished, rows and rows of food appeared right in front of me...

"Hey Tonks, one more...please?"

I pretended to look annoyed; inwardly, I was enjoying the attention thoroughly. I concentrated, and soon my blue afro straightened, turned light gray, and fell past my shoulders in feathery strands. My face sagged ith the weight of wrinkles.

The common room exploded with laughs. "Binns!" shreiked Madison Bordstrom, one of the new Gryffindors. I grinned appreciatively and gae a fake bow to tumultuos applause.

The room slowly emptied of people. The Gryffindors, stuffed to burstingpoint, fell under a sleepy spell and felt it best to go up to bed. Madison, fascinated, remained by my side, still saying "That last one was really great you know..."

We went up to the dormitory a while later, laughing at my first impression, which was of Sirius. Though I was becoming more and more tired by the minute, a warm feeling was flaring inside. I'd made my first friend...

The wide, circular staircase wound up the the Girls' dormitory, a spacious room with five other beds. Memories still fresh in my mind, i drifted off to sleep...

I awoke with a start. the entire room was bathed in white, cresent moonlight, but it wasn't what had startled me. someone was making an awful lot of noise...

"HA!" an unfamiliar voice shouted in triumphed. "Look at _this_! Just what Peevsie was looking for! A stout man was waving a wand all around, his tongue out. _My _wand...

"HEY!" I sprang out of bed, fuming. Coming out of her sleep, i heard Madison mutter vaguely "What's happening?" but i had no time to answer. i grabbed my robe and dashed downstairs, chasing the theif.

It was not an easy task. the man zoomed ahead, down the steps, out of the common room while i sprinted, hardly keepin gup. The man merely cackled, andhere athere fidgited with the wand, sending galling orange sparks down deserted corridors, or else turning various walls purple.

The hem of my robe made it's way under my foot. I slipped, barely managing to break the fall with my hands. My eyes wattered at te stinging sensation taking place near the palms of my hands, and the man, cackling more madly still, went on his way, my wand still grasped between his fingers.

Tears of anger welled in my eyes as I gave up. i sat back on my heels and examined my hands. One was bleeding.

"Damn," I heard myself whisper. "My wand..."

"Excuse me?"

I looked up, startled. A boy was standing a few feet off, looking at me skeptically. In the moonlight, a badge over his chest gleamed _Head Boy_...

**Oohhh...Lupin's here! Now it'll get a little more interesting...**

**Hey, do you have to be a prefect first to be Head Boy? Because in OotP they say that Lupin got the Prefect's badge and James didn't, but in SS Hagrid says James was Head Boy...so i just made Lupin Head Boy...more fitting...**

**besides, why would they pick **_**James**_, **of all people, to be Head Boy...?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Attempting to minimize spelling mistakes...**

**(Not to try and excuse them or anything, but hey, my real computer is broken so I'm stuck on an Apple, and I'm really not good on these things...spell check isn't as good as it is on Word...)**

He may not have been as tall as Sirius, but to me he was so much more appealing...his eyes---that's where I looked. Bright, brown, and sparkling, they were beautiful..._he _was beautiful.

"What are you doing down here?" His voice did not sound harsh; it was more curious than anything. I also couldn't help noticing how it's warm, melodic tones sent chills running down my spine. he regarded me with a puzzled expression.

I was at a total loss for words. I focused into his eyes (which I now realized had an even more awing hint of amber), thinking that I must've looked pretty stupid with curly green and pink hair (Madison had insisted on one final transformation before bed). If only my eyes were that dazzling...

"Are you alright?"

I broke my gaze and came to my senses...almost. "S-someone...this guy just...er, m-my wand was stolen," I finished breathlessly.

He nodded understandingly. "Peeves. He likes to..._welcome_ first years after the Sorting sometimes."

I wasn't sure how he knew was just a first year. I really wished he didn't.

"Here, we need to go straight to Dumbledore; he'll help get it back."

He offered his hand (I took it with a swoop inside my stomach) and he helped me to my feet.

"Uh, thanks," I said, trying to find words. "S-so, um, Dumbledore won't mind? I mean, he will be awake, won't he?"

"I met with a teacher during the feast; she told me to watch out for Peeves for tonight and to keep an eye on the corridors...and also to get Dumbledore if something happens."

"Oh." I looked up at him, and, taking in his beauty once more, I reddened. "So what does he...Peeves, I guess, mean by all that?"

The Head Boy, who I knew only by the name of 'Moony', sighed. "No one really knows. I don't even think he's a ghost,and I don't know what he's doing here. He just likes causing trouble."

I nodded, trying to look satisfied, but yearning to know more about this boy all the same, or just to hear his voice one more time.

We continued to Dumbledore's office. He was standing in front of it already.

"It was Peeves, Professor," said the boy at once. "He stole her wand."

I lowered my head, not exactly knowing what to expect. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Dumbledore wearing a weary smile, and he was directing it to me. I looked up.

"Yes, of course...I'll have the Bloody Baron look into it. But its much too late to be up." He turned to the Head Boy. "Would you please escort Miss tonks back to he Tower?"

The Head Boy nodded "Thank you sir," and began to walk off. I followed.

We swept silently through the hallways, reaching Gryffindor Tower within minutes. I turned to him again, hoping beyond hope that I wasn't blushing.

"Well I need to get going. You know, patrolling the corridors...by the way, I'm Remus Lupin. If you have anymore run-ins with Peeves, you can come to me."

"Thank you...um, I'm...Tonks..."

He raised his eyebrows, expecting a little more.

"Well, actually it's Nymphadora Tonks, but that's just...it's a really stupid name, and..."

"I don't thinks it's stupid," he replied kindly. I knew i was blushing by now.

For a long time I watched the receding back of the Head Boy. At 11 years old, he was the first guy i ever felt attracted to, and he would turn out to be the only person I ever _loved_...

**Why did this chapter look soo much longer on the pages of my notebook? They ALL do...longhand these chapters took up more than 21 pages and now they take up 2...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh yeah...about the moon. it's supposed to be a crescent moon (I think I said so near the end of chapter two, if not, heh heh...sorry...)**

**This chapter serves no real purpose. It was just fun to write.**

**Oh, and I wrote this chapter before common sense let me know that Slughorn would be teaching potions...but the potions teacher has next to no part in the story, so hopefully it won't be too much of a bother...**

I have never been a shy kind of person..._ever_. So I surprised myself a little when I hardly spoke a word all breakfast.

Remus Lupin was sitting across from me. He, James, and Sirius talked and laughed. (When he laughed, his entire face lit up, and I couldn't take my eyes from him.) I ate and ate, but I just couldn't satisfy my burning hunger.

Usually I did not look at boys. I had always told myself I'd never be someone like that (Andrea Finch was the perfect example), chasing guys, drawing little hearts around their pictures, shuffling through boyfriends like I shuffled through my looks---it seemed so...stereotypical...but these were new circumstances. I had never liked anyone back then...

Sirius gave an introduction, but of course it wasn't needed.

Remus smiled with recognition. "Last night---Peeves, right?"

I nodded vigorously.

"By the way, you may need this." He slipped my wand from the depth of his pocket. I took it with a meek "Thank you" and stored it in my own pocket, blushing. Luckily he didn't notice.

Madison ambled in late, rubbing her eyes. I only kept up conversation for a little while, but when I turned to get a glimpse of Remus he was gone. Up at the front of the table, I could se him passing out schedules.

Quite suddenly, a shower of owls hit the Hall. A letter was dropped into my lap, from none other than my mother.

_My Dearest Nymphadora, _I read silently. If my face was pulled I couldn't help it.

_I really hope you are well. How do you like the castle? Have you made any friends? If you want to come back home I won't mind, because I can come straight up and get you, no trouble at all._

_I miss you so much! Please tell Sirius I said hello_

_Love,_

_ Your Mother._

_Promise you'll write soon!_

I heard laughter over my shoulder. Sirius was reading the letter from behind me. And---I tried to hide it, but I was too slow---_Remus _had seen it too!

I blushed an even deeper shade of red as he put my schedule in my hands, trying his very best to contain his laughter but failing miserably.

My very first class that day was potions, along with the first years from Ravenclaw. The class was taught by an old, withering witch called Professor Candie, who set us to work on a simple potion to ease cold symptoms, and hardly heard as loud conversations sprang throughout the room.

For me the work was not easy. Both Madison and I struggled to measure exactly the right amount of each ingredient, while many of the Ravenclaws breezed through.

"12 minutes until the end of class," Professor Candie announced, oblivious to the group of boys trying out random potions in the back of class. "Please start wrapping up."

There was a scramble as everyone rushed to finish. Madison and I shared a panicked look and sprang from our seats to get more ingredients.

Unfortunately I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going. My natural clumsiness burst forth as I tripped over a large cauldron that was simmering nearby.

Red waves worked their magic in a wild series of peaks and troughs. Table legs began to dissolve, ingredients from the tops mixing in with the mess, The unprecedented solution was son setting the room to ice-cold purple flames.

Every head turned to me as blushed harder than ever before. "Oops..."

Professor Candie sent us off so that she could restore order. I started running from the scene, Madison close by, when I heard a voice behind me.

"Hey! Wait up!"

A tall Ravenclaw boy was tearing down the corridor. He came to a halt next to us, panting, but still managing to laugh.

"That was great back there..._and _we got to leave ten minutes early!"

He seemed very much impressed. When I had a closer look I realized---and saw it etched over Madison's face---he was pretty good-looking...

"I'm Blake," he told us.

"Tonks."

"Madison."

The three of us started down the hall together as I found it easier to laugh at the potions incident, and marveled at what promised to be a sturdy friendship.

**Again, this chapter was pointless...**


	5. Chapter 5

**I had to take a little break because my posted chapters were starting to catch up with my longhand ones...but now I have about 3 new chapters so expect frequent updates!**

Over the next few weeks, Blake continues to spend more time with Madison and I. Of course it wasn't as much time as we would have liked, but he was in Ravenclaw and we were in Gryffindor.

One particular afternoon, the school was in an uproar. Blake cornered one of his fellow Ravenclaws to figure out the cause.

"The Quidditch game this weekend, of course!" he said excitedly. "Slytherin and Gryffindor!"

Madison instantly perked up. She lived with her Muggle father and had never seen a game of Quidditch. But blake and I shared an anxious look. Slytherin and Gryffindor...

It was definitely something to worry about. Tension was already taut to breaking point between to the two Houses. This situation would most likely snap it completely, the reverberating twangs as deadly as ever.

In the common room, everyone surrounded James, Gryffindor's Quidditch captain, eager for details on the upcoming match. (There were ridiculous rumors flying throughout the school, and I was astounded to see how many people actually believed them.) James was having difficulty shaking them off, but still seemed to be enjoying even more attention.

"I'm not saying anything, alright? You'll just have to wait till Saturday."

Eventually he detached himself from the storm of Gryffindors and made his way to where Sirius and Peter were sitting. (Madison and I were struggling through History of Magic homework nearby.)

"I can't wait for all this to be over," James sighed, though with a small grin on his face.

"Well," there's always the fights to look forward to. Did you see Michael Hunter yesterday? His nose was twice as big as his head..."

They sped off into one of those conversations that only boys can truly appreciate. I was left to my essay, and not to mention my ever-present thoughts of Remus Lupin.

Saturday arrived quickly. Madison and I battled our instincts and got up early enough to meet Blake at breakfast. He was going to sneak with the Gryffindors o watch the game with us (both Madison and I had insisted). We weren't exactly sure if he would actually come, so when we saw him waiting we were all smiles.

We began running. Madison got there first. I didn't get there at all. A few paces and i toppled headfirst over my own feet, landing right in someone's lap.

I should have expected it, what with my horrible luck. I saw all too late that I was laying across the knees of Remus Lupin.

I sprang up, wishing that instead of changing my appearance i could make myself disappear altogether.

"You alright there?"

My metamorphosing powers were no match for the blushing fit that came over me. "S-sorry," I croaked, not able to tell if he had heard me or not. I stormed off to the other end of the table. _Why _did he happen to be around every time I did something stupid?

Madison didn't mention the incident at all. Blake, on the other hand, seemed _very _ interested, shooting looks at Lupin and almost laughing, but then appeared to change his mind at the last minute. I hadn't told either of them a thing about Lupin and i didn't plan to.

I cleared my throat significantly. "So...about the match..."

Blake and Madison were off, sharing their theories. I left the conversation quicker than I had started it. I stared at Lupin, like I had been doing at every meal without really knowing. Perhaps it was my imagination, but was he a bit paler than usual?

"Hey, we're going now," said Blake, shaking me from my dream state with a poke on the shoulder. Looking up I saw the Great Hall emptying quickly. I jumped up, practically chasing after Madison in a fit to get good seats.

Quidditch began normally---though we were a bit late---and it was about fifteen minutes into the game when we noticed something wrong.

"NO!" Sirius howled as the Quaffle soared from the Slytherin goal posts, marking Gryffindor's eighth try. Not one point had been scored for them, although the ball should've continued straight through the center each time.

"They've put a spell on it," Blake muttered, eyes following yet another attempt at a goal. Predictably, the Quaffle didn't make it. It fell into the hands of the captain who, looking extremely smug, went forth to score against Gryffindor.

The Gryffindor team called a time-out, huddled together, then broke apart, James nodding. Minutes later he had caught the snitch.

Madison was was thoroughly enraged. "WHAT?! Didn't any of the teachers notice that?!"

Apparently they did not.


	6. Chapter 6

"Did you see that? You _did _see that, right?"

The Gryffindors were in a horrible mood after the game, especially the team. They came back to the common room later than usual, each player throwing himself unceremoniously onto a couch or rug.

"We've been talking with McGonagall," James explained grumpily, "and she says she can't do a thing about it!"

As everyone else made faces and cursed the Slytherins, Sirius looked thoughtful.

"Well, someone's got to put them in their place," he said in a low voice to James, Remus, and Peter, "and we haven't pulled a prank all year..."

Remus cast a wary glance around the room before saying, "Yeah, but what can we do?"

I was a little surprised that the Head Boy was planning to participate, but somehow it made me admire him even more...

Sirius lowered his voice even more. "We'll just need to ask my cousin for a bit of help..."

I don't know how or why I got mixed up in the plan, but late one Sunday evening I was to be found in front of the common room fire, Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter all shielding me from view.

"Perfect," James hissed in triumph. "Not even McGonagall will be able to tell..."

Once again I peered into the small, compact mirror in my hand. I was not greeted by my own reflection, but by that of an older, aggressive-looking seventh year. His eyebrows were thicker than normal, and were so close together they were almost touching...

"Right, so you remember _exactly _what you're going to do?"

I nodded nervously. Sure, I knew what I had to do---impersonate the Slytherin Quidditch captain and pretend to bewitch the balls, while Remus ran off to fetch McGonagall. Once she saw what I was doing, I was to run and lead her to the Slytherin common room entrance then morph once again where she couldn't see me. McGonagall would enter and Slytherin would get what they deserved. But simply knowing this did not make the task seem any less difficult.

The portrait door swung open as another student walked in.

"He's in his common room now but I don't know how long he'll be staying," she reported. "You've got to do this fast."

Sirius nodded, then gave me a gentle push towards the door, barely concealing a grin. "Good luck then."

When the coast was clear, I sidled into the hall and made my way outside, heart hammering faster than ever. No one was around, which was just as well---the only witness we really needed was Professor McGonagall.

I was focusing in a nearby hedge, trying to recall the charm, when Remus poked suddenly from inside it and gave a thumbs up. Then he put on a falsely panicky face and started running.

At the cue I had taken out my wand and opened each of the ball crates. I took careful aim, about to perform the spell when

"WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Professor McGonagall was charging towards me, looking far angrier than I had seen her all year.

For a few seconds I stood rooted to the spot, but Remus mouthed frantically "Go!" from behind McGonagall and I quickly regained my senses.

I spun around and ran faster than I had ever run in my life. I wasn't about to mess this up, not with a whole House counting on my, and not to mention Remus...

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw McGonagall yards behind. And just when I needed it the least, I tripped over my shoelace, toppling over and slamming heavily to the ground.

Even now, in such a desperate situation, I had managed to make a complete fool of myself in front of a certain someone, who was trying to hide a smile.

Professor McGonagall picked up her pace as scrambled around the corner...

She stopped, panting heavily, in front of the Slytherin common room entrance. "Wh-where...where'd he..." she asked a tall third year who was standing outside.

I pointed inside, amazed at how smoothly the plan had worked.

McGonagall stormed inside, twice as angry for having to sprint through the whole castle. I could hear her raging from inside and I laughed---now that it was all over, the whole thing seemed far more amusing...


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter makes me ashamed to call myself a writer, but I just needed to fill some space between here and there. I'm not kidding, nor am I trying to get reviews saying _"aw, it wasn't that bad." _I have never been more serious in my life.Do me a favor and read the rest of this note, then skip right to the very last three sentences in the chapter, because those are the only words of value on this page, and never lay eyes on what's written in between.**

* * *

By the next day, we found out that the Slytherin captain had been removed from the team. I, of course, was hardly surprised---I had seen the level of McGonagall's anger and thought the punishment would have been harsher.

Soon all the Gryffindors knew me by name, and I blushed each time I was congratulated...I was glad to finally acccomplish _something._

The only person who didn't say anything to me was Lupin. In fact, I didn't see him for the rest of the night...

My feet suddenly left the floor. Sirius swung me around, like he used to do when we were much younger, then dropped me into an armchair. I got back to my feet looking embarrassed.

"_Sirius_!"

He was estatic, clearly brimming with pride for me.

"Nice one!" he said again, before running over to a group of chatting Gryffindors, informing them that I was related.

I shook my head, half fondly, half exasperatedly, before going up for bed.

The dormitory was bathed in silver moonlight. It filtered through the curtains and left square patches across the floor, much like it had on the night I met Remus.

I smiled at it before getting in bed **(don't act like you don't smile at random things from time to time)**, a lonely, distant howl putting me to sleep---

While the previous day's occcurences had boosted my confidence, there was still the question of my schoolwork. There had been a consistent drop in my grades, particularly in History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Unfortunetly my mother recieved note of this and wrote back. In midst of all the cooing and _I miss you_s, she tolf me to get my act together or there'd be consequences.

"Can't help you there Tonks," Blake **(woah...almost forgot he was in existence.) **told me rather regretfully. "My grades aren't much higher up than yours."

Sirius, still wildly pleased with my success, offered advice at once.

"I'm not too good at that stuff, but Remus is, I'll ask him to help out. And Allyson Beal in our year is almost as good as Binn's himself."

I, predictably, blushed on hearing Remus' name. Blake gave a defeated sort of grin, but I couldn't help but notice a deflated look in his eye.

A few days later, when Remus made a sudden reappearance, he said he wouldn;t mind helping out, and neather did this Allyson Beal.

I waited in the common room that night, wringing my hands nervously. Remus and the other girl were due any minute...

In just a few short moments later the pair of them came in through the portrait, laughing heartily.

"This is Nymphadora Tonks," Remus explained to the girl. This was the first time I seen him up close for a week---I couldn't even find it in me to correct him.

The girl gave a bright smile. "I'm Allyson," she told me, gathering a few books and striding over to an empty table. Remus followed and we went straight to work.

As he talked, I nodded and took notes, but really I just used it as an excuse to look at him.

And when the other girl talked---Allyson or whatever she was called--- I was forced to turn away from Remus and watch her, all the while casting discrete glances in his direction.

In an hour or so we were finished. I was left with notes, knowledge, and a hunger for more tutoring.

"So how'd it go?" Sirius asked, plopping down beside me.

"It was fine," I told him, rolling up the noted and beginning to stow them in my bag. "I'm pretty sure I'll pass the next test...so who was that girl? I got more out of her than I could've ever hoped from Binns." Considering I hardly paid attention to her this was a very high compliment.

Sirius popped a piece of mystery candy in his mouth and offered me one. "Oh, Allyson? She's Remus' girlfriend."

I dropped the last three pieces of parchment; they rolled across the length of the room and opned at the foot of the portrait door. I spared them no attention, instead focusing my eyes on Sirius', wide, unblinking...

"G-girlfriend?!"


End file.
